How Malaysia fares in digital wellbeing: A breakdown across 5 key pillars

On a regional level, Malaysia (49th) outperforms Singapore (56th) and Thailand (63rd) in the pillar of e-security. However, to match top-placed Belgium, it would need a 48% improvement in its cybersecurity readiness.

Malaysia has dropped four positions to rank 41^st globally on the 2024 Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index — down from 45th place the previous year.

Within Asia, Malaysia holds the eighth position in digital quality of life, trailing behind regional leader Japan. Globally, it lags behind Singapore, which is ranked 14^th, but remains ahead of Thailand, positioned at 51^st.

The DQL is an annual study by Surfshark, ranking 121 markets by their digital wellbeing based on five core pillars: internet quality, internet affordability, e-security, e-infrastructure, and e-government. So, where does Malaysia stand in each of these areas?

1) Internet quality

Malaysia shines in internet quality, ranking 14^th worldwide, making it the country’s strongest pillar in the index. The country’s fixed internet speed averages 174Mbps, a 31% improvement from last year, while mobile internet speeds have surged by 106% to 174 Mbps. This puts Malaysia’s internet quality 35% above the global average.

However, despite these advancements, the country still lags behind Singapore, where fixed internet speeds reach 347 Mbps.

2) Internet affordability

In terms of affordability, Malaysia performs relatively well, but there is still room for improvement. To afford fixed broadband, Malaysians need to work around three hours and nine minutes per month, which is 12 times longer than in Bulgaria, the country with the world’s most affordable internet. For mobile data, Malaysians work approximately 28 minutes and 46 seconds per month, which is twice as much as in Angola, where mobile internet is the most affordable. While these figures are better than in many countries, lower costs would make internet access even more inclusive.

3) E-security

Malaysia ranks 49^th in the world for e-security, dropping one place from last year. While the country does have some data protection laws in place, its cybersecurity measures still lag behind leading nations.

On a regional level, Malaysia outperforms Singapore, which ranks 56^th, and Thailand, which ranks 63^rd. However, to match Belgium, the world’s top-ranking country in e-security, Malaysia would need a 48% improvement in its cybersecurity readiness.

As digital threats continue to rise, strengthening e-security will be essential to ensuring a safe online environment for businesses and individuals. 

4) E-infrastructure

Malaysia ranks 28^th in the world for e-infrastructure, which reflects how easily people can access and benefit from digital services in daily life. Internet penetration in the country is impressively high at 98%, placing Malaysia in ninth place globally in this aspect. However, the country ranks only 38^th in network readiness, which measures its ability to leverage digital technologies effectively.

5) E-government 

The most significant decline in Malaysia’s ranking comes in the e-government pillar, where it has dropped eight places to 40^th in the world. The e-government pillar measures the level of digitalisation in government services and a country’s readiness to adopt AI. A well-developed e-government system can reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency, and reduce corruption.

Images / Surfshark